1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of dispensing fluids such as drinking water, and more particularly to a dispensing system and method for dispensing oxygen enriched water.
2. Description of Related Art
Oxygen enriched drinking water has an enhanced taste appeal and offers the health and fitness conscious consumer an alternative and supplemental source of oxygen that is absorbed through the stomach. The term drinking water is intended to include, without limitation, spring water, filtered water, or water treated by the reverse osmosis process.
The dissolved oxygen content of natural pure spring water ranges from between about 5 mg/liter to 9 mg/liter depending on the source of the water, purification and processing techniques applied prior to bottling, and other factors.
However, no system has been adequately disclosed for providing oxygenated water on a mass scale for consumer consumption.
It is desirable to provide a water dispensing system for dispensing oxygen enriched water on a mass scale for consumer consumption. The term supersaturated is defined as a concentration of dissolved oxygen above the maximum that will occur naturally given a specific water temperature and atmospheric pressure. The saturated concentrations for oxygen dissolved in water over a range of temperatures and pressures are given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,079 which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention provides a new and improved water dispensing system and method of operating the same for dispensing oxygen enriched water having a dissolved oxygen content at a supersaturated level.
The oxygen source may include an oxygen generator, and such generator may include a pressure swing adsorption oxygen generating apparatus. Alternatively, the oxygen source can be of various other forms including stored oxygen such as bottled oxygen.
In one embodiment of the present invention an oxygenated water system comprises: at least one water source; a soda dispensing system for dispensing water from the at least one water source, wherein water dispensed from the soda dispensing system has dissolved oxygen at a supersaturated level.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides an oxygenated water system comprising: at least one water source; a payment acceptor system, operatively attached to said water source; and a dispensing system, operatively attached to the payment acceptor system, for dispensing water from the at least one water source, wherein water dispensed from the dispensing system has dissolved oxygen at a supersaturated level.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method comprising: providing a water source; inserting a payment into a payment acceptor system, operatively attached to the water source; and dispensing water from the at least one water source, wherein water dispensed from the dispensing system has dissolved oxygen at a supersaturated level.